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In case residents are in withdrawal for lack of a regular City Council meeting this week, they can attend Mayor Rich Cline’s “State of the City” speech on Thursday (Sept. 23).

Mr. Cline said the speech will discuss what Menlo Park is doing to enhance its “high quality of life” and the challenges facing the city, according to a press release.

The event, which is free, starts at 6 p.m. at the Stanford Park Hotel at 100 El Camino Real.

Afterward, the Chamber of Commerce will host a dinner and present the Golden Acorn Awards, but that is a ritzier affair requiring reservations and tickets. Call 650-325-2818 for more information.

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8 Comments

  1. “In case residents are in withdrawal for lack of a regular City Council meeting this week..”
    Ya gotta like a writer that kicks off with that.

  2. Mayor Cline talked for about 25 minutes. Extolling all the wonderful things this council has accomplished.

    He spent most of his time telling about what he was going to do in the future (if he gets re-elected)

    He is going to solve the pension issue. Funny, he and the other council members created the issue about 3 years ago.

    Talked about how wonderful the downtown – El Camino specific plan had proceeded and what wonderful things it will do for the city. The plan now way over cost (over 1.2 million) , late because it has become so controversial since the real stakeholders — the property owners and retailers were not really involved and now oppose the plan.

    (it seems staff is trying to keep opposition to the plan from using the farmer’s market to display their literature — similar effort happened at the block party. Fran Dehn knows all about that). This should be investigated and those trying to suppress this effort be fired immediately)

    Finally he is 100% in favor of the Bohannon project, even though it generates plenty of impacts. Maybe because he lives in West Menlo and he doesn’t care what happens to those east of El Camino is his reason for supporting this project.

    The whole event, this State of the City address, delayed until election season is really pretty obviously nothing more than political propaganda.

  4. Sorry “Old Timer” your comments are simply not true, or I guess I should say, you are well practiced at the No Growth Strategy that your ilk like to employ. I am not a supporter of Rich Cline, but I must respond to your “so controversial since the real stakeholders – the property owners and retailers were not really involved….” comment. Are you serious???!! There were TOO many meetings getting everyone and anyone involved in the process. Heck, I even attended 3 of the meetings. Just because a few choice property owners didn’t get their way, they now continue to shout out these trumped up charges. Your comment is Simply Not True. Be careful what you say, others may start to do a little research and discover that the person heading this opposition is NOT from Menlo Park, and most of the supporters are not from Menlo Park………….oops, I may have opened a bag of nuts.(and not ones I bought at the beloved Farmers Market!) Also, please tell us what “plenty of impacts” REALLY means with the Bohannon Project, AGAIN with trumped up charges. Ridiculous. Lastly, it really is great that as an “Oldtimer” you are engaged and have a voice in your town, but please stop trying to stop EVERYTHING that is either growth oriented, or someone is trying to make an attempt to improve something!!

  5. Shameless campaigning in the guise of a “state of the city” speech. Cline’s become the kind of politician that he used to despise. Very sad.

  7. How soon is election day? Is this the anti-incumbent year?

    Menlo Park City Council has the reputation for lots of wheel spinning without a lot of progress.

  8. A mayors “State of the CIty” speech is suuposed to be just that. Here ishte state of our city, adn here’s how we got here, and here’s what we can fix.

    Unfortunately that’s not what we got. Everyone needs to remember it’s an election year and miracles happen……honest, just tap your heels together 3 times and all will be well.

    In an election year, the incumbents can say they are fiscal conservatives with a straight face. They can admit that “they” fixed the pension system. (Hey aren’t hese the guys who blew it in the first place?….I guess they forgot that) In fact in an election year incumbents can cure world hunger, honest.

    So nobody should be surprised that the “State of the City” speech sounded like a campaign speech. it was.

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